Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are produced by sulfonic acid hydrolysis and used for the formation of Pickering emulsion (PE) with thyme white essential oil (EO). Highly volatile and hydrophobic thyme white is encapsulated in PE by the amphiphilicity of CNCs. Encapsulation of EO in a CNC shell is determined by confocal microscopy with distinct fluorescent labelling. The amount of CNC affects the size distribution of PE, and the emulsion stability is confirmed by rheological property. The antimicrobial activity of the emulsion is evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by minimal inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The larvicidal activity is also investigated against Aedes albopictus by dispersing the emulsion in water.
In this study, the fumigant antifungal activity of 10 Lamiaceae plant essential oils was evaluated against two phytopathogenic fungi, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, and Rhizoctonia solani. Among the tested essential oils, thyme white (Thymus vulgaris) and summer savory (Satureja hortensis) essential oils exhibited the strongest fumigant antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungi. We analyzed the chemical composition of two active essential oils and tested the fumigant antifungal activities of the identified compounds. Among the tested compounds, thymol and carvacrol had potent fumigant antifungal activity. We observed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in two fungi treated with thymol and carvacrol. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of fungi stained with propidium iodide showed that thymol and carvacrol disrupted fungal cell membranes. Our results indicated that ROS generated by thymol and carvacrol damaged the cell membrane of R. querqus-mongolicae and R. solani, causing cell death.
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